The National Conference on Current Trends in
Conflict Resolution in Higher Education

Concurrent Workshops I

War and Peace, or Conflict and Its Transformation? An Evolving Field of Study

    The field to which we belong has had various monikers, denoting its relative youthfulness, its trans-disciplinary subject matter, its diversity in methods and orientation, and its evolving nature. These names include: peace studies, world order studies, peace and conflict studies, conflict resolution, conflict management, conflict transformation, and still others. The names of the academic degrees available to our students vary much more widely still, and for a much broader set of reasons. This presentation will survey and analyze significant aspects of this history from both a macro and a micro perspective, using the changing nature of the Kent State University degree program (now 30 years old) as a concrete example.

Workshop Presenter

    Patrick Coy is Associate Professor at the Center for Applied Conflict Management and the Department of Political Science at Kent State University. He is the editor of the annual volume, Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change (Elsevier Sciences/JAI Press), and the co-editor of Social Conflicts and Collective Identities, Rowman and Littlefield, 2000, and editor of A Revolution of the Heart: Essays on the Catholic Worker, Temple University Press, 1988. At Kent State he regularly teaches such courses as Mediation: Theory and Training; Reconciliation vs. Revenge: Searching for Transitional Justice; Public Sector Dispute Resolution; Nonviolence: Theory and Practice; and Introduction to Conflict Management. His research on community mediation has appeared recently in Mediation Quarterly, on peace movements during the Gulf War in Sociological Spectrum, on the Catholic Workers’ movement in Peace and Change, on Peace Brigades International in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, and on peace movement responses to September 11 in Peace Review.

Workshop Notes

What Disciplines Does ADR Involve?

• 1926- Quincy Wright, Analysis of War at University of Chicago
• WWII +- Luis Richardson applied mathematics to War
• WWII- Bolling; Problems with Peace and Conflicts. 
• After WWI we created a power vacuum and watched what filled it instead of planning to fill it.
• 1972- Colgate University; Program for peace studies in response to Vietnam
• 1972- Bradford University; Adam Curl (Quaker), First Grad Program
• Yohan G- Peace is more than the absence of War
  • The ADR field evolved to prescriptive theories instead of normative theories
  • Foundations focused on less adversarial Conflict Resolution methods
• MICRO- 4 Kent State students shot at anti-war demonstration
• 1970, May 5^th-8^th- Major campus demonstrations
  • 536 university campuses shut down temporarily
  • 1,350 universities affected
  • 5 million students involved
• 1971- Center for Peaceful Change created as a living memorial
  • Created a Peaceful Change Studies Degree Program
  • Ombudsman emerged from Kent State Incident
  • The term “Peaceful” in the title was controversial and the title was changed to “Center for Integrative Change”
  • The early program focused on experiential learning (field trips, on site learning and case studies)
• Mid 1980’s- Response to Reagan’s increase of the military budget.
  • Universities questioned why it was necessary.
• 1987- Kent State created a degree program
  • See attached Curriculum (Sample #1)
  • Added Independent Study Internship
• Late ‘80’s-1990- What do we mean by Conflict Resolution; Management, Mediation and    Facilitation
• 1991- Center for Peaceful Change to Center for Applied Conflict Management
  • Question- In ADR, do we want a quick solution or Continued Relationship Building?
• 2004- Added Gender Studies, Cross Culture and Reconciliation v. Revenge Courses
• Diversity is essential in subject matter of methodology.
• Evolution of the field is due to human response to human horrors (war), which ultimately stimulates research.
• The first beginning of peace programs had religious affiliations.
• In the 60s, the curriculum in the first institutional programs focused on peace studies.
• There began to be feminist influences on framework of analyzation.
• In the 80s, the term conflict analysis was born.  It referred to mediation, negotiation, and arbitration.  There was now a decrease in focus on war and peace, which shifted the curriculum.  “Context sensitive focus”
• Skills in resolution process now became important. 
• Kent State Tragedy- (as case study)
  • During the four days following the tragedy, there were about 100 demonstrations a day.
  • The “Center for Peaceful Change” was created as a memorial to those killed.  Its purpose was to provide constructive ways to handle concerns on campus. 
  • A major was formed at Kent State, but the title of the major was an issue.  Because peace was a threatening word, the major was titled “Major in Integrative Change.”  This may have been a response to the Peace Movement. 
• Coy asserted that an attractive intro. Course is essential to recruit majors!!  Perhaps the Department should consider this!!
• Coy was trying to show the changes at Kent State as representative as changes in the field.

Question & Answer

Q-Instead of encouraging change there is a fear of stifling change in order to keep peace, how does this affect the field?

A-Keep away from set rigid programs and encourage change and liberalism in teaching Conflict Resolution.

Q-What is the difference between Graduate and Undergrad programs or is there one?

A-Wide variety of undergrad majors go to Conflict Resolution Graduate Programs so there are many similarities in the programs, the difference is the type of work and the intensity.

Q- Does where a Conflict Resolution program is based in a University (What Department) affect the curriculum and is it good or bad?

A- The Program may be influenced by other fields or take away students from other fields though I can’t say if that is good or bad.

Q- What type of final requirement should Graduate Study students have to complete?

A- Many options such as exams, dissertations and papers are available, but it is important to keep away from rigid unchangeable requirements.

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